Media content playback device for a vehicle and a method therefor

Abstract

A media content playback device for a vehicle and a method therefor are provided. The media content playback device includes: a media information identifying device that requests a user terminal to transmit media information and identifies the media information, when there is a request to play media content, when communicatively connected with the user terminal; a cover art obtaining device that obtains a cover art image based on the media information; and a controller that displays the cover art image on a playback screen of the media content, when playing the media content.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A media content playback device for a vehicle, the media content playback device comprising:
 a media information identifying device configured to request a user terminal to transmit media information and identify the media information, when there is a request to play media content, when communicatively connected with the user terminal; 
 a cover art obtaining device configured to
 determine whether a cover art image of the media content is possessed in a database (DB), 
 when the cover art image of the media content is possessed in the DB, obtain the cover art image based on the media information from the DB, and 
 when the cover art image of the media content is not possessed in the DB, obtain the cover art image from at least one of the user terminal or a content provider; and 
 
 a controller configured to display the cover art image on a playback screen of the media content, when playing the media content, 
 wherein the controller selects any one of images stored in the DB when the cover art image is not obtained from at least one of the user terminal or the content provider. 
 
     
     
       2. The media content playback device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an environment setup device configured to set up a terminal environment of the user terminal, when communicatively connected with the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       3. The media content playback device of  claim 2 , wherein the environment setup device sets up a media playback environment for playing media content of the user terminal and sets up a cover art acquisition target of the media content. 
     
     
       4. The media content playback device of  claim 3 , wherein the environment setup device determines whether it is possible to obtain a cover art image from a media player of the user terminal. 
     
     
       5. The media content playback device of  claim 4 , wherein the environment setup device sets the user terminal to the cover art acquisition target, when it is possible to obtain the cover art image from the media player of the user terminal, and sets the content provider connectable over a wireless network to the cover art acquisition target, when it is impossible to obtain the cover art image from the media player of the user terminal. 
     
     
       6. The media content playback device of  claim 5 , wherein the cover art obtaining device transmits media information to the content provider to request the cover art image, when the cover art acquisition target for the media content is set as the content provider. 
     
     
       7. The media content playback device of  claim 6 , wherein the cover art obtaining device updates a cover art acquisition history from the content provider in the DB, when the cover art image is received from the content provider. 
     
     
       8. The media content playback device of  claim 5 , wherein the cover art obtaining device requests the user terminal and the content provider to transmit a cover art image for the media content and obtains the first received cover art image. 
     
     
       9. The media content playback device of  claim 5 , wherein the cover art obtaining device transmits a protocol message to the user terminal to obtain the cover art image, when the cover art acquisition target for the media content is set as the user terminal. 
     
     
       10. The media content playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the cover art obtaining device obtains the cover art image based on a cover art acquisition history for the media content, when there is the cover art acquisition history for the media content on the DB. 
     
     
       11. The media content playback device of  claim 1 , wherein the media information includes at least one of a title, an artist, or album information of the media content. 
     
     
       12. A media content playback method for a vehicle, the media content playback method comprising:
 requesting a user terminal to transmit media information and identifying the media information, when there is a request to play media content, when the user terminal is communicatively connected; 
 determining whether a cover art image of the media content is possessed in a database (DB); 
 when the cover art image of the media content is possessed in the DB, obtaining the cover art image based on the media information from the DB; 
 when the cover art image of the media content is not possessed in the DB, obtaining the cover art image from at least one of the user terminal or a content provider; 
 displaying the cover art image on a playback screen of the media content, when playing the media content; and 
 selecting any one of images stored in the DB when the cover art image is not obtained from at least one of the user terminal or the content provider. 
 
     
     
       13. The media content playback method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 setting up a terminal environment of the user terminal, when the user terminal is communicatively connected. 
 
     
     
       14. The media content playback method of  claim 13 , wherein the setting up of the terminal environment includes:
 setting up a media playback environment for playing media content of the user terminal and setting up a cover art acquisition target of the media content. 
 
     
     
       15. The media content playback method of  claim 14 , wherein the setting up of the terminal environment includes:
 determining whether it is possible to obtain a cover art image from a media player of the user terminal; and 
 setting the user terminal to the cover art acquisition target, when it is possible to obtain the cover art image from the media player of the user terminal, and setting the content provider connectable over a wireless network to the cover art acquisition target, when it is impossible to obtain the cover art image from the media player of the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       16. The media content playback method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining of the cover art image includes:
 transmitting a protocol message to the user terminal to obtain the cover art image, when the cover art acquisition target for the media content is set as the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       17. The media content playback method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining of the cover art image includes:
 transmitting media information to the content provider to request the cover art image, when the cover art acquisition target for the media content is set as the content provider; and 
 updating a cover art acquisition history from the content provider in the DB, when the cover art image is received from the content provider. 
 
     
     
       18. The media content playback method of  claim 12 , wherein the obtaining of the cover art image includes:
 obtaining the cover art image based on a cover art acquisition history for the media content, when there is the cover art acquisition history for the media content on the DB.